Target game



y 1962 J. H. LEMELSON 3,032,345

TARGET GAME Filed April 7, 1959 20: 16' w l2 In INVENTOR.JeromeHLem'elson 3,032,345 TARGET GAME Jerome H. Lernelson, 43A GarfieldApartments, Metuchen, NJ. Filed Apr. 7, 195?, Ser. No. 804,801

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-95) This invention relates to game and amusementapparatus and, in particular, to target seeking devices and targets.

Target games utilizing missiles and darts which become secured to atarget for indicating the position said missile strikes said target. Themost popular games of this type utilize a pointed steel needle or bladesecured to the nose of the missile which penetrates the surface of atarget and holds the missile in place or a rubber friction cup, alsosecured to the nose of the missile, which when urged against a flatsurface of the target will become secured thereto by suction means. Bothtypes of missile-target combinations have serious shortcomings whichfrequently make them undesirable for amusement purposes. For example,the steel tipped dart is generally too dangerous for the average smallchild to play with. The suction cup tipped dart or missile is relativelysafe to play with but frequently requires a considerable amount of forceto secure to a target surface and must be projected substantially normalto said surface in order to become lodged thereagainst.

In this invention, the nose of a target contacting device or dart isprovided with a small patch or quantity of a material which is made of amultitude of short filaments of synthetic plastic such as nylon whichare adapted to mesh with and interlock against a material made also of amultitude of short wire-like filaments which are shaped to become hookedwith the filaments of the material on the dart. Such materials arepresently available under the commercial name of Velcro manufactured bythe Velcro Corporation, New York, N.Y.

Such Velcro material has been generally used for clothing closures and aVelcro closure unit consists of two strips of flexible wool-likematerial one of which has a multitude of tiny monofilament hooksprotruding from its surface, there being thousands to the square inch,with the other material consisting of a flexible cloth or textile bandhaving a multitude of tiny wire-like filaments sewn thereto into amultitude of loops each of which protrudes outward from the surfacethereof. These two strips could arbitrarily be referred to as a firsttype of contact engaging material and a second type of contact engagingmaterial. When the surfaces of the materials are brought together thehooks become engaged in the loops in a random manner and the net effectis to provide a means for holding one material against the other whichgenerally requires at least several ounces of force to separate said twomaterials. Said Velcro material is a relatively simple and safe materialfor use in a play thing since the hooked component thereof hasessentially the texture of rough wool and the looped component providesa surface which is free of rigid or sharp projections and is yieldable.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide new andimproved game and amusement devices utilizing one or more patches orsurfaces of a material of the type described which will hereafter bereferred to as a hooking material.

Another object is to provide a new and improved target and targetcontacting device for use in skill and amusement games and the likewhich are provided with means for securing a missile on the surface of atarget by the application of a light force between the two wheneverpredetermined areas of said missile and target are in surface contactwith each other.

Another object is to provide a new and improved dart and target thereforin which part of said dart may hook 3,032,345 Patented May 1, 1962 iceor penetrate part of said target without permanent deformation ofeither.

Another object is to provide target apparatus including a lightweightmissile and a target having one or more areas thereof adapted forcontact by said missile which, when contact is made therewith, becomesengaged thereon and may easily be dislodged therefrom without permanentdeformation of said target.

Another object is to provide improved target apparatus including amissile having a hooking surface adapted for engagement with a hookingsurface of a target of such characteristic that a plurality of filamentelements of both said surfaces will randomly interlock with each otherto such a degree that said missile will be held in a predeterminedattitude on said target.

Another object is to provide a new and improved target game including amissile having at least part of its external surface covered with ahooking material which is of such a characteristic that when it iscompressed between said missile and a target it may not only be used tohold said missile against said target but will also act to absorb someof the shock of impact of said missile with saidtarget.

Another object is to provide a new and improved dart game including anose thereof which is adapted for penetrating and engaging a surface ofa target whereby said missile is held thereon yet which is so safe foruse by small children that if it strikes the eye of a child it will notcause damage thereto.

Another object is to provide a new and improved game ball adapted withsurface means for securing said ball to a target having predeterminedcharacteristics when it strikes said target.

With the above and such other objects in view as may hereafter morefully appear, the invention consists of the novel constructions,combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully describedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understoodthat changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the invention, as claimed.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show a dart and target in accordance with thisinvention;

FIGURES 3 and 4 show a target and a hand-guided missile in accordancewith this invention;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a missile in the form of a sphere in accordancewith this invention.

in FIG. 1 is shown a game apparatus in the form of a dart and a fragmentof a target therefor, the dart in flight at the target. The dart 10 ispreferably made of a single molding from plastic and comprises anelongated body 12 having a plurality of thin sheet-like guide fins 14extending along said body to the rear portion thereof and having a head16 of enlarged diameter at integrally formed on said body at the otherend. The head 16 is preferably of sufficient weight or is weighted topermit said dart to ascribe a flight stabilized path when projected orthrown. Secured to the front face 16 of head 16 by means of cement, astaple or other fastener is a small patch or disc 18 of so called Velcroclosure material. This is adapted to engage a patch of Velcro closurematerial of the type to which it will secure and hold the dartthereagainst when said head is thrown against a predetermined area ofthe target containing said Velcro material.

The target 20 consists of a target board 22 which may comprise a sheetof cardboard, plastic, wood, metal or the like having means in the formof a bent wire 23 or the like for supporting it erect on a surface orhanging it on a wall. A plurality of targets 24 are provided on thesurface of 22 which comprise patches of Velcro material having thecharacteristic such that, when the patch 18 which is secured to the noseof the dart or missle 10 spec es is urged thereagainst, the shortprojecting plastic filaments or hooks from either will engage the otherand cause the dart to be held thereagainst thereby indicating a hit.When the nose of the missile strikes the areas 22 of the surface of thetarget 20 which do not contain the patches 24 the dart will not be heldbut will merely bounce off or slide down the surface of the target. Thenotation 26 refers to numerical markings on the surface of 22 adjacentthe target patches 24 provided to indicate the score. The patches 24-may be riveted, stapled, cemented or otherwise secured in place on 22'.

FIG. 2 shows the dart 10 held against the face of 20 by the interactionof the hooking materials of the patches 18 and 24-,

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a further embodiment in the realm of theinvention having components which include a target and a guided missilewhich is controlled by hand and has means for engaging and securing tosaid target. The missile illustrated in FIG. 3 is shown in the form of asword which is adapted to be held in the hand and manipulated in thedirection of a target body referred to by the notation C in FIG. 3. Thesword 25 may be utilized in a dueling game between two persons each ofwhom has a target which is removably secured to his clothing or to anarticle secured to his person, the object of the game being to removethe target from the opponent by the manipulation of said sword and ameans on the end thereof which will engage the target of an opponent andbe secured to said target so that, when the end of said sword is removedor pulled away, the target will be removed thereby.

The sword 25 consists of an elongated shank or simulated blade 26 havinga handle 26" and simulated handguard 27 at one end thereof and a headmember 26 of larger diameter than 26 extending integrally from orsecured to 26. In FIG. 3, 26 is illustrated as a member secured to theend of 26 and is preferably made of rubber, The rear end 26a of 26 isprovided with a hole therein in which the forward end of 26 isfrictionally engaged. The forward end of 26' is of enlarged diameter.Secured to the front face 26!) of 26' is a patch or disc 18 of saidVelcro material positioned so that when 26 is thrust longitudinally, it(13') will engage a surface contacted by the end of said sword.

The target 29 is preferably a heart-shaped patch of Velcro materialwhich will be held by 18' when contact is made therewith. Removal of 29from the wearer by 18' may be effected as follows:

A patch 25; of Velcro closure material is secured to the clothing ofeach participant in the game by means of a safety pin 2% preferably in aposition on the upper part of the chest above the heart. The closurematerial of 28 is provided facing the wearer with the lower end thereofpositioned below said safety pin. The target 29 which is a heart shapedpiece of Velcro material with an upper projecting tab-like portion 28",is of a characteristic to be held by the closure material of 28' and of18. The tab 28" may be engaged under the patch 28 so that 29 will beheld in place against the clothing or a base sheet which may be rigid orflexible plastic cloth which may be worn by each participant. If thearea of engagement of 28" with 28 is smaller than the surface of 29which may be brought into engagement with the face of 18', when 26 isbrought against 29 and becomes compressively secured thereto, it may beused to remove 29 from its position of engagement on its contestant. Ifeach contestant is provided with such a patch and mount and each with asword or dueling stick such as 25, the winner of a dueling game may bedesignated as the first to remove the target from his opponent by meansof securing it to the end of his sword.

FIG. illustrates a missile in the form of a sphere or ball which may bethrown or otherwise propelled at a targe of the type heretoforedescribed and which has at least part of its exterior surface providedor covered with a hooking material. The ball 30 may be of any suitablediameter which may vary from one to several inches or more depending onthe intended method of propelling said ball, its weight and the size ofthe target. For example, said ball 30 may be intended to be shot from agun or struck by a golf club or the like in a manner to propel it at atarget whereby it would preferably vary from, one-half inch in diameterto one and one-half inch in diameter. If the ball is intended to bethrown by hand, batted or catapulted by a mechanical device at a target,it may range from one and one-half to three inches or more in diameter.The base 30 of the ball 30 may be made of any suitable rigid ordeformable material such as plastic, rubber, leather or the like. Forbest results, it is preferably light enough in weight so that it willsecure to the target in the manner of the missle of FIG. 2 by means ofone or more patches 18" of hooking material secured to its outersurface. Shown in FIG. 5, are a plurality of circular patches of saidhooking material which may be cemented, stapled, stitched or otherwisesecured to the base 30. Said circular patches may be replaced with oneor more patches of hooking material of other contour such as a stripextending partly or completely around the sphere as a belt. Whereas thehooking material may be provided in a manner to cover the entirespherical surface of 30', the provision of it on a limited area or areasof said surface may enhance the play value of the missle since it mustnot only strike the hooking material of the target but must do so withthe patch 18" engaged between the base 30 and the target hookingmaterial in order for said ball to be engaged and held on said target.

In a preferable form of the embodiment of FIG. 5, the base 30' of themissle 30 is preferably resilient or otherwise deformable inward so thatas the hooking material of a patch 18 engages thehooking material of thetarget said. base will deflect and tend to conform at least in part tothe shape of the target whereby a greater area area of the misslehooking material will engage and be held by the target hooking material.The base 30' may be a hollow spherical shell of rubber or resilientplastic such as plasticized vinyl or may be made of cloth or leatherwith the interior thereof stuffed with cotton, foamed plastic, or othersuitable material which will permit the spherical shell of 30' tomaintain its shape yet will deflect when said missile strikes a rigidsurface permitting said enhancement of the hooking action between thehooking material of 18" and that of the target. As a furtherconstruction it is noted that the ball 31) may be made of flexible vinylsheeting or the like which is inflated or inflatable to the shape of aball or sphere as shown and which has said patch or patches of hookingmaterial cemented or otherwise secured to the exterior surface thereof.Such a missile is sufficiently light in weight to permit it to hang fromthe targetupon the engagement of its hooking'material and that of thetarget and it may be provided in a relatively large diameter which willpermit the engagement of the ball against the target.

I claim:

1. A dart game comprising in combination, a target board having anoutwardly presented face provided with a textile covering having asurface of a pile fabric having upstanding loops, and a dart having aforwardly presented blunt impact end provided with a textile coveringhaving integral outwardly extending stiff hooks and spines formed ofbroken loops of filament adapted for retentive imbedment in said surfaceupon contact therewith.

2. A game apparatus comprising in combination:

(a) a target surface having an outwardly presented face provided with afirst type of contact engaging textile material,

([1) a target contacting device having a portion thereof covered with asecond type of contact engaging textile material,

(0) one of said contact engaging textile materials comprising a surfaceof a pile fabric having upstanding loops and the other of said contactengaging textile materials comprising a covering having integraloutwardly extending stifi hooks and spines formed of broken loops offilament adapted for retentive imbedment in said surface havingupstanding loops upon contact therewith,

(d) whereby when said target contacting device is directed against saidtarget surface, said first and second types of contact engaging materialengage with each other to hold said target contacting device againstsaid target surface.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said target contactingdevice is in the form of a dart.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said dart has a ratherblunt nose portion.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said target contactingdevice is in the form of a ball having at least one patch of said secondtype of contact engaging textile material thereon.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said target surface hasa plurality of spaced apart patches of said first type of contactengaging textile material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS LynchJune 5, Otto July 1, Reiche Sept. 14, Barringer Aug. 4, Mestral Sept.13, Swartz May 15, Stewart July 2, Stem Dec. 31, Forster Jan. 21, RobesFeb. 4, Mieg Jan. 13, Lemon Aug. 18,

